3 out of 4 stars
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Toward Happier Choices: A Coffee Conspiracy is not a usual memoir written by Michael Oborn. The author started writing in his sixties and believed that the best medium to illuminate what human means is in the story. The memoir is split into three sections: "Short Stories", "Potpourri", and "Exceptional People".
The "Short Stories" section is engaging for me. Almost all the stories are about the Mormon Church and how the author left the Mormon life. There are stories about racism, gender inequality, and depression. Some stories, even break my heart. I love the bravery of this section. I can relate to the author's feelings toward the church and his family and how he fights for what he believed is more right than be a puppet of his religious group.
The "Potpourri" section is short essays about the inequality women are facing in a Mormon Church, about giving money to the church for salvation, the practice of the Mormon Church where the bishop asks adolescent intimate questions, one on one. This section is more of the horrifying practices of the Mormon Church and some quotes from famous people.
The "Exceptional People" section is about those people who inspire the author. People who are dear to him and thankful for. Since I have a cat, my favorite character in this section is not a "person", but Lady Meow.
Overall, I think the book is engaging and a good read. It will question your beliefs and choices in life. Somehow, it is rebellious, but it is its charm. Reading about the author's experiences in life inspired me to make better choices for myself regardless of how society is against it. The book teaches me to leave everything that does not give me happiness and peace.
Sadly, the book is not professionally-edited. There are lots of missing commas, misspelled words and capitalization problems. I love how the author tells a story, but I hope the errors are minimal for a smooth ride. For the said errors, which I disliked the most, I will give this book 3 out of 4 stars.
I will recommend this book to those who are curious about the Mormon church or those who want to leave this kind of life but not courageous enough. I will also recommend this to the young aspiring writers who are doubting themselves. Mr. Oborn has picked the pen in his sixties and succeeded to pursue his dreams. What an inspiration!
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Toward Happier Choices
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